Sign Language in the Classroom

March 2, 2011

Sign Language Picture Book for Kids

A few things coincided for this post. My middle daughter who is in 3rd grade told us at dinner that she’s learning sign language at school and proceeded to demonstrate the alphabet. She has had a hearing impaired student in her class for the last three years so I asked her if it is to help communicate with that child. She said, “Yes.”

That’s really cool — enlightened education — that she’s learning to sign and it’s helping her to connect with her classmate. I always worry that the curriculum at my elementary school is molded around the standardized tests which begin this month.

Then, I happened upon two interesting articles on sign language. This YouTube video is going viral and is a homemade version of Snow Patrol’s Hands Open (hey, I actually know them! They opened for the only concert I’ve been to in years: U2!). And it’s in IRISH sign language. Who knew sign language was by foreign languages?!! You’d think it would be universal?! But it’s a lovely video to share with your children and it might even make them want to learn sign language themselves!

The second article is on how sign language helps to limit disruptions in the classroom because … it’s quiet! Students can sign things like “I have to go to the bathroom.” Or just “yes” or “no.” If you want to incorporate this nifty trick at home or at school (should you be a professional educator!), here is the site they recommend.

Finally, Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman is my favorite picture book on empowered hearing impaired kids and the book also has a nifty sign language guide in the back. I can do the alphabet from it, but I’m not so good at the other active swinging signs. I’d use that site for that to see actual video demonstrations.

To examine this book more close at Amazon, please click on image of book.